To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the challenges faced by (1) indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon who are campaigning for their human rights, and (2) non-indigenous people supporting them.
Answered on
10 December 2021
The UK Government is aware of the challenges faced by indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon, and their supporters. We regret that nine indigenous leaders have been killed between 2020-2021. We monitor the threats that indigenous people face from groups linked to serious and organised crime, and the Peruvian Government's actions in protecting them. The Peruvian Government has taken steps to introduce a multisector mechanism for the protection of human rights' defenders, but a volatile political situation is slowing progress.
Through the British Embassy in Lima, we deliver a range of projects aimed at upholding indigenous people's rights, collaborating with Peruvian authorities, the private sector, and civil society organisations. We have actively supported the development of Peru's first action plan on business and human rights, including the voices of traditionally marginalised sectors, such as indigenous communities, human rights' defenders, and women. We are supporting the economic empowerment of indigenous communities in Ucayali and Madre de Dios through projects funded by UK International Climate Finance. HMG's Combating Illicit Economies Programme (CIEP) is implementing a regional project across Brazil, Colombia, and Peru to reduce environmental crimes in the Amazon, aiming to improve the quality of data on environmental crimes to facilitate evidence-based decision-making, as well as mapping victimisation and risks directed at defenders of indigenous rights and the environment.